Uusi Helsinki (New Helsinki) Quartet (UHQ)

The Uusi Helsinki (New Helsinki) Quartet (UHQ)

The Uusi Helsinki (New Helsinki) Quartet (UHQ) was founded in 1982, and already two years later the ensemble won the I Prize in the String Quartet Competitions in Viitasaari and Prague (Concertino Praga Competition). This was a great start and launch for the young ensemble. In 1994 the Quartet won the II prize in the International String Quartet Competition in London, and in 1997 they were awarded the Nuori Suomi (Young Finland) Prize. Through their many successful concert tours to famous concert halls around Europe such as the Wigmore Hall in London, Konzerthaus in Berlin, Tonhalle in Zurich, Concertgebouw in Amsterdam and numerous European festivals they quickly established themselves as a mainstay on the International music scene. The UHQ has over the years toured regularly in Belgium, Holland, Greece, Germany and England as well as outside Europe in Japan, USA, Australia and Israel. The Quartet has studied with many accomplished teachers such as Risto Fredriksson, Eli Goren and Peter Csaba as well as with the Amadeus-, Takács-, Chillingrian- and Britten String Quartets. They have created their own concert series for string quartets and invited among others the Juilliard String Quartet to perform in Helsinki. The UHQ celebrated its 30th anniversary by playing all Beethoven string quartets in Lahti, Tampere and in Helsinki. They have made numerous tv- and radio broadcasts and their discography includes string quartets by Janacek, Sibelius and Grieg for Finlandia Records and a CD together with the clarinetist Kari Kriikku for Ondine.

Petri Aarnio, I violin, studied at the Sibelius- Academy with Lajos Garam and in New York with Dorothy Delayn and Joel Smirnoff. Petri Aarnio is concert master of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and he plays on a Vincenzo Ruggeri violin from 1696.

Taija Angervo, II violin, studied at the Sibelius Academy with Seppo Tukiainen and Mi-Kyung Lee. She has also studied with Zinaida Gilels, Ilja Grubert and Pavel Vernikov at various master classes and with Michaela Martin in Cologne. Taija Angervo is second concert master of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and plays a Goffredo Cappa violin owned by the orchestra.

Ilari Angervo, viola, studied at the Sibelius Academy with Helge Valtonen and Jouko Mansnerus. He continued his studies at the Berliner Hochschule der Künste with Wolfram Christ 1988-1990. He is solo viola player of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra. He has performed as a soloist with many Finnish orchestras and also in Germany, Russia and Japan. He plays a J.B. Guadagnini viola from 1762.

Tuomas Lehto, cello, started playing the cello at the age of three. At the Sibelius Academy he studied with Hannu Kiiski and Marko Ylönen. He has also studied with Torleif Thedéen and Jan-Erik Gustafsson in Finland and Sweden. He is solo cellist of the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra and active both as a soloist and a chamber musician.